January 2017 by Dr. Ellen Jefferson and Ryan Clinton

Austin became a No Kill City because of a mixture of stable baseline programs already in existence, political and public awareness of high shelter death, and good, old-fashioned hard work creating new programs (Austin Pets Alive!). The presenters review the decisions that were made, the communication used, the committees that were formed, the work that was divided up, and the strategy. This presentation will give you a road map for starting, which is often where groups get stuck. This presentation was recorded at the 2016 American Pets Alive! Conference.

About Dr. Ellen Jefferson

Dr. Ellen Jefferson, Executive Director, Austin Pets Alive! Dr. Jefferson graduated veterinary school in 1997 and started her career in private practice. In 1999, in response to an 85% death rate at the city shelter, she started EmanciPET, a low cost and free spay/neuter clinic in an effort to decrease the number of homeless animals.

In 2008, she was still not satisfied with how fast the city of Austin was moving towards No Kill status, and stepped in as Executive Director of Austin Pets Alive! Since 2008, Austin Pets Alive! has been the driving force to bring the entire city of Austin to a greater than 90% save rate and the largest No Kill city in the US.

In 2012, Dr.Jefferson linked with San Antonio Pets Alive to implement the No Kill programs that were proven successful in Austin and helped drive the live release rate from 30% to 80% in 12 months. She is married to a horse veterinarian and they share guardianship of 2 dogs, 3 cats, and a bird.

About Ryan Clinton

Ryan is a Texas appellate attorney, a shareholder at the law firm Davis, Gerald & Cremer PC, and a former Texas Assistant Solicitor General. In 2005, Ryan founded FixAustin.org, an animal-advocacy organization aimed at making Austin a "No Kill" community. Ryan has been repeatedly named a Texas "Super Lawyer" in Texas Monthly magazine and, when he qualified, was named one of the top 25 attorneys in Texas under the age of 40 by Texas Lawyer.He was also a 2009 recipient of the No Kill Advocacy Center's Henry Bergh Leadership Award.He is a frequent speaker on animal law and advocacy throughout the country.